Type-writer ribbon



Y the clean end, which may immediately be at NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT' G. HOPKINS,` OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE-WRITER RIBBON.

SPECIFICATN forming part of Letters Patent N o. 622,361, dated April 4, 1899.

' Application filed November 12, 1897. Serial No. 658,274. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type-Writer Ribbons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

This invention relates to a type-writer ribbon which is provided with uninked attaching ends or tabs during the process of manufacture, one of these ends being secured to the forward end of the ribbon bysewing, and the other of which is attached to the opposite end of the ribbon by adhesive material, the advantage of this construction being that as the front end of the ribbon comes out from the inking-machine the tab can be quickly sewed on without interfering with the usual operation of the inking-machine and while that operation is taking place, the rear tab being applied after the determined length has been eut off. A complete ribbon is thus provided with clean ends, so that it may be handled in and about the type-writing machine without soiling the fingers or the 1na chine, and the making ofv such a ribbon can be carried on without unduly lengthening the process of manufactureorlincreasing the cost.

In the manufacture ofitypefwriter ribbons the cloth composing the ribbonsis fed through an inking-machine or device at considerable speed, and in order that the ribbon may be wound on a reel as rapidly as it is inked itis desirable that the union between the forward end of the inked ribbon and the rear of the clean end or tab should be made as quickly as possible. I have ascertained that this quick union may best be obtained by causing the forward end of the inked ribbon to lap slightly upon the rear of the forward cleanv end or tab and by then sewing them together by a seam extending across the two from one edge to the other. A seam of this character can be very readily and quickly placed. This provides the advanced end of the ribbon with tached to the reel and the winding of the ribbon begun and the operation of the inking machine or devices continued. The ribbon having been inked, its rearend is wound upon the reel and is not then in a position to have readily attached toit by sewing the rear clean end or tab, and as time is not then of so much value I prefer to unite the said rear end of vthe ribbon to the rear clean end byan adhe-l sive material. The rear clean end is caused to lap slightly upon the rear end of the inked ribbon, and an adhesive material previously interposed between the two unites them.

It will be understood that each clean end or tab is also provided at its outer end with an attaching device, which preferably is in the shape of a hook.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vievi7 in per spective of both ends of a type-writer ribbon having the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of these ends in vertical central sec tion.

A represents the inked ribbon.

B is the forward clean end or tab, and C the rear clean end or tab. The ribbon may be of any of the usual cloths or fabrics and may be inked in any desirable way. I prefer that the ends B C be made of paper, that each be for a short distance of the width of the ribbon, and that each have a tapering tongue or outer end gradually and regularly decreasing in width; and b represents the tapering sec. tion of the clean end B, and c the tapering section of the clean end C. Each of these tapering parts or tongues has attached to it the hook or attaching device, the clean end B having the hook b' and ythe clean end C having the hook c. Each hookis preferably made of Wire and is formed at its rear end into a loop, providin-g a cross-bar over which the pointed end of the tongue is passed. and returned upon itself and fastened to itself by adhesive material.

Each clean end is preferably made of paper, and the clean end B is united to the for end o? of the ribbon is united to the rear of the clean end C by adhesive material interposed between the rear end of the ribbon and IOO the clean end. There is thus aorded means by which the type Writer ribbons may be more quickly and economically made and also a ribbon provided with means by which it may be handled and attached both to the reel of the inking-machine and to the shipping and sales reel and to the reels of the type-Writing machine without soiling the iingers of the person handling or using the same and Without requiring the use of other and separate devices for attaching it to said reels.

I prefer to use for the clean ends paper which has been treated with a non-absorbent filling, Wherebyit is made non-absorbent and writing machine, as it might if made, for example, of cord or the like.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. As an improved article of manufacture, a type-Writer ribbon having the inked section A, the clean end or tab B united to the end a by the stitches a', and the clean end or tab C united to the end a2 by an adhesive substance.

2. The type-writer ribbon above described consisting of an inked section having at each end a clean tab of paper 0r the like, the rear section of which is of the Width of the ribbon, said tab havinga tapering tongue and carrying at its extremity a hook, as and for the purposes set forth.

ROBERT G. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, J. M. DOLAN. 

